Rosie O’Donnell was concerned about returning to the US for the 2026 Tony Awards after President Trump had previously threatened to revoke her citizenship.
The 64-year-old comedian moved to Ireland with her 13-year-old child Clay in January 2025 after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. She told Page Six exclusively on Sunday that she was back stateside for the Tony Awards ceremony and confirmed she was safe to return to the U.S. after taking a secret trip to see her family in February.
“When I first came back, I was worried that it would be a problem. And I came here alone, without my child with autism, who is 13 years old. She is the youngest of five children,” she told us. “It was okay because I wanted to make sure that if something happened, it didn’t happen in front of her. That’s the way it should be.”
He added, “I am and always will be an American citizen. He cannot actually arrest an American citizen without cause, and exercising free speech is not grounds for arrest in America.”
O’Donnell also spoke to Us about her decision to reveal that she had secret plastic surgery last month, explaining that unlike some celebrities, she wanted to be honest.
“Well, a lot of people were like, ‘What have you done?'” And I didn’t want to be one of those celebrities who had weight issues all their life and suddenly became thin and healthy and didn’t admit it was Munjaro. ”
“I didn’t want to do that to people who are struggling with obesity (and thinking), ‘Why can’t I do this?’ So I just wanted to tell the truth,” she continued.
O’Donnell doesn’t regret having the expensive cosmetic surgery, but admitted she doesn’t want to do it anymore.
“In 10 or 12 years I’ll be 75 years old. At 75, I think I’ll say no, but I love my doctor and I love working,” she said.
In February, O’Donnell spoke about secretly returning to the United States for two weeks during an appearance on “SiriusXM’s Cuomo Mornings.”
“I wanted to know how difficult it is to get in and out of this country,” she said. “I wanted to feel what it felt like. I wanted to hug my kids again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year.”
“I also wanted to make sure it was safe here before I brought my daughter this summer. She plans to spend the summer of her schooling here with her family,” she added.
O’Donnell has long been an outspoken critic of Trump, but their feud reached a boiling point in July 2025 when Trump wrote to Truth Social, “Due to the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interest of our country, I am seriously considering revoking her citizenship.”
“She is a threat to humanity and if they want her she should stay in this great country of Ireland. God bless America,” he continued.
Ms O’Donnell hit back on her social media in an Instagram post, writing: “The President of the United States has always hated the fact that I see him for what he is: a criminal fraudster and a liar who sexually abuses to harm our country in order to serve him. This is why I moved to Ireland.”
She also labeled the president a “dangerous soulless old man with dementia who lacks empathy and basic humanity.”
